Remember when automakers created special edition models and offered them in other markets except for the U.S.? While that still holds true in some way, the karma Gods have decided to throw downtrodden American buyers a few “special edition” bones in recent years. One of those bones was the Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary, which Mazda unveiled to great fanfare at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show in February. Only 500 units were made available in the market, and, as expected, eager beavers scooped up all 500 units in a matter of hours. You would think that those who weren’t able to score a reservation for one would be down on their luck, right? Well, the karma Gods are back, baby, and they have instructed — or at least I think they did — Mazda to throw in an additional 143 units of the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition for the U.S. market. Unfortunately, the 143 extra units are allotted only to those who signed up on the waitlist for the special edition MX-5. That’s fine because it still beats getting shut out completely, right? The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary has a starting price of $34,995.

Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition

There was a point not too long ago when I had completely given up on the thought of cool special edition cars finding their way to the U.S. market. Ok, so may it wasn’t that dramatic, but it did seem like we were headed in that direction. Japan scored so many special edition models it’s hard to keep track of all of them anymore. Europe had its fair share as well, and the Middle East became a hotbed for special edition Rolls-Royce models. And what did we have to show for it? A special edition Toyota 86 that really wasn’t that special? Accessory packages masked as special editions? Nothing captivated our senses and strung out or sense for excitement.

Then something happened at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show in February. Mazda unveiled the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition on American soil. It didn’t erase the scars of us getting scorned of one too many special edition models in the past, but it was a promising reversal of fortune, especially because the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary was a cool special edition model. It had purpose. It had an identity. Plus, it looked really slick in that Racing Orange body.

Naturally, when you offer a starved market a special edition model that checked all the boxes on what model with that label is all about, that starved market is going to pounce on it. And, as expected, buyers pounced on the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition in a matter of hours. Just like that, Mazda was swallowed up by a wave of pre-orders for the roadster.A lot of people were understandably bummed — I would’ve been too if I missed out on the SE MX-5 — about the model’s staggering demand, but that’s usually how popular special edition models go. If you don’t act quickly, you won’t get any. You could sign up on the waitlist, but there was no guarantee that you were going to get one.

Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition drivetrain specifications

Type

2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G inline four-cylinder engine

Transmission

SKYACTIV-MT and SKYACTIV-DRIVE six-speed automatic

Max. output

181 HP

Max. torque

151 LB-FT


It seemed like that was the end of it, but in a stunning development, Mazda announced that it was adding 143 units of the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition for the U.S. market, bringing our total to 643 of the 3,000 units that the Japanese automaker plans to build. How Mazda decided on such an arbitrary number, I’ll never know. But that’s not important. What’s important is that if you did sign up for the waitlist, lady luck just knocked on your door. You get an MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition! You get an MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition! Everyone ( who signed up on the waitlist) gets an MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition!

Some of you are probably asking at this point if the Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition is even worth all the hype I’ve been giving it. It’s a fair question, and while I do admit that my standards are a bit clouded by the lack of excitable SE’s we’ve seen in the market in recent years, I will die on the hill with those people who rushed in to score a reservation for the roadster. It’s unapologetically flamboyant, but not the kind that rubs you the wrong way. Aside from the color, it also features a set of Rays forged aluminum wheels, orange brake calipers from Brembo, a choice between a soft top and a retractable hardtop, and an interior that’s been blessed with orange details mixed in with black leather. In other words, it’s hard not to take your eyes away from the car.

2019 Mazda MX-5 exterior dimensions

Length

154.1 inches

Width

68.1 inches

Height

48.62 inches

Wheelbase

91.4 inches

Curb weight (KG/LB)

1,057 / 2,332


You don’t need to talk yourselves into the roadster list of features and tech options. Recaro seats? Check. Automatic headlights? Check. Climate control? Check. It even comes with a nine-speaker Bose sounds system, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Best of all, the Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th isn’t going to burn holes in your pockets the way other more expensive but less enthralling special edition models would. Opt for the RF variant with the retractable hardtop, and you’re in line to pay only $37,595. I like the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition, but would you pay roughly the same amount for that or the MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition? My money’s going to Mazda faster than you can say, “zoom-zoom.”

Hopefully, this is the start of bigger things for America’s international special edition landscape. We’ve been given two awesome special editions this year that are worth spending money on, so let’s keep the momentum going. Who knows, a U.S.-specific special edition Toyota Supra could be in the works? I wouldn’t put it past Toyota, but I’m still not going to dive headfirst into that possibility. For now, I’m happy that we got the Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition. I’m even happier that we got a second serving of it, even if I whiffed on both opportunities to get one.

Can’t win them all.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition.

Read our full review on the 2016 Mazda MX-5.

Read our full driven review on the 2017 Mazda Miata RF.